Life Within
by alyssialui
Summary: A drabble collection of characters expecting a baby, including some of my favourite pairings: Dramione, Huna, Snilly, Lucissa, and Fremione.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Draco and Hermione receive good news. AU. Dramione. Post-Hogwarts. __Submission for:_

_**Fanfiction Scavenger Hunt Competition****: **A drabble collection of five (each one under 500 words)_

_**A Dramione Prompt Challenge!****: **Parents (9)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter._

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**Chapter 1 - The Little Stick**

Hermione sat on the edge of the bathtub waiting patiently, her bare toes digging into the blue shag bathroom mat. Draco had been so skeptical of this little stick in her hand but she wouldn't have it any other way. She would trust it until she could go to a healer and do a proper test.

Draco appeared in the doorway, pulling a grey shirt over his head. He walked into the bathroom with his socked feet and took a seat beside her on the bathtub, looking at the little stick himself.

"Does it say anything?" he asked, taking the stick from her, staring at the little place she said would show the answer.

"It's almost time," she said softly, scared she would jinx it.

Then a second bold pink line appeared before their eyes, confirming their hopes and dreams.

Hermione looked over at her husband and threw her hands around his neck, tears springing instantly into her eyes. He kissed her forehead before putting her at arms length.

"We're going to be parents," he said softly, surprise in his voice as well.

She leaned back into his embrace, her head on his chest. "We're going to be parents."


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: I've decided that my drabble collection is going to be drabbles of my favourite pairings and pregnancy. So we just had Draco and Hermione getting the news. Now we have Harry and Luna in bed. (Go Huna!) RxR. FxF._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter._

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**Chapter 2 - Bedtime Stories**

Harry turned off the bathroom light before entering his warm bedroom. It was definitely a cold night and he wanted nothing more than to climb into bed and snuggle against his wife.

He smiled at the scene that greeted him when he entered the room. She was sitting up in bed and reading outloud, her hand comfortingly moving across her swollen abdomen. Her voice was soothing and carried around the room like a lullaby. Her light hair was braided down her back as she usually had when they slept, though her wand was still tucked safely behind her ear.

He got in and sat behind her after she adjusted to lie against his chest. She continued reading and then they would take turns reading alternating paragraphs and lines of _Babbity Rabbity and her Cackling Stump_ to the precious gift inside her body.

They ended the story and she turned up to look at her husband. "I think he liked the story. He's kicking."

He placed a hand on her stomach and he felt the small movements within. "He likes hearing your voice. But we can read one more story for him tonight."

She smiled and they started the next story, _The Tale of Three Brothers._


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: My next favourite pairing: Snilly (Sev/Lily). Severus and Lily visit a muggle clinic to do an ultrasound. RxR. FxF._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter._

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**Chapter 3 - Made It Even More Real**

The room was a pale blue and little drawings of kittens and puppies decorated the walls of this muggle clinic. I felt very uncomfortable in the presence of all the smiling women I met as I walked through the doors with my wife, they seemed almost too happy. But from what I saw in my own wife, her words echoed true, there was something about a baby that made all ladies happy.

Currently, I stood beside her as she lay on the bed at my side. The muggle healer sitting in a chair at her waist turned to set up some odd machine. There was a large black box on top of all the other clunky boxes that she said was a 'screen' and my wife told me to keep focused there.

The muggle healer then smiled at the two of us and squirted some clear substance on my wife's slightly showing baby bump, eliciting a small gasp of surprise from her. The woman chuckled, mentioned something about it being cold, before reaching for a wand attached to the machine.

"Are we ready?" the woman asked.

My face must have looked completely clueless because my wife grabbed my hand tight and said, "As we'll ever be."

The woman moved the wand through the gel on my wife's stomach and the 'screen' lit up. The image was fuzzy, white lines on black, odd shadows in some places. The woman waved the wand back and forth and the image flickered accordingly. What was I seeing?

Then my wife squeezed once more and pointed with her other hand, her words whispered, "Look, Sev."

I squinted. What was I supposed to be seeing?

The woman looked at me with a smile, like it was normal for men to act this way, and then traced a shape on the screen with her finger. "This is your baby, about 24 weeks. Do you want to know the sex?"

I stood there with my mouth open. My baby? My child? I was seeing my own child as it still swam inside my wife. Why didn't wizards have this kind of thing?

"Yes, please," I croaked out, not looking at the woman but into my wife's green eyes, squeezing her hand back.

The woman moved the wand once more and said, "Yes, it's definitely going to be a girl."

My wife smiled up at me, the tears now flowing over. Seeing my daughter on the screen just made it even more real. I was going to be father. I leaned down, brushed her red hair aside and placed a kissed on her forehead. "Do you hear that, my flower. We're going to have a girl."


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Here's chapter four and the fourth pairing: Lucissa. Lucius wakes up in the middle of the night without Narcissa in his bed. __Let us assume that there is no omni-present dark lord breathing down Lucius' neck please. My Lucius can be freer and relaxed without the threat of death and greater glory over his head._ _RxR. FxF._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter._

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**Chapter 4 - The Perfect Dad**

Lucius rolled over in bed half-asleep and reached across the bed towards his wife to find her side empty. His eyes popped open and although his vision was blurry, her absence from his side was confirmed. Her position was still warm so she couldn't have gotten far. But where was she?

There was a clatter from downstairs and some loud screeching. Lucius sat up and pinched the bridge of his nose. This could not be good.

He walked silently through the empty halls of the manor trying to be as calm as possible for when he finally met his hormonal wife. His mind began to stray as he looked ahead of him and imagined his son running around these very halls, his laughter echoing off the walls and the high ceilings and waking up all the portraits. He would smile as Great-Uncle Maximus tore his hair out as his young son drew on the edges of his portrait.

He could imagine being a fun parent, a fun dad, the one his son would run to when his mother was being strict. He could imagine taking his son out everywhere, to Diagon Alley, to Quidditch games, even Muggle London if he could get away with it.

But he wouldn't be too lenient. He would nurture his son but not coddle him, only strict when need be. He would ensure his son understood exactly why he was in trouble or being reprimanded. He would teach him impeccable manners and encourage carefree behaviour, as all children should have.

"I need strawberries!" his wife screamed as he finally entered the kitchen, a house-elf running to get them. She was sitting in a soft armchair in the corner with a a large bowl on her lap, devouring its contents.

"Cissa?" he asked cautiously approaching her, like a newly bought cat - you were never sure if it would bite or rub against your hand.

She looked up, her large spoon hanging comically between her lips. Her long purple silk robe flowed down her shoulders, over her round breast and her even rounder stomach. Her hair was pinned above her head messily, as if hastily done. This was probably the most toned-down version he had seen of her in a long time and he smiled. Even at her worst, she was still beautiful.

"Lucius?" she asked, surprised to see him. "I hope I didn't wake you."

He picked her up and replaced her on his lap as he sat in the armchair. He asked, "What have you got there?" He looked down into her bowl which was half filled with mushy white food and brown solid chunks.

She smiled and said, "Vanilla ice cream and pretzel sticks."

Lucius laughed. Her primary craving had been ice cream and all its variations: milkshakes, sundaes, sandwiches, parfaits. She offered him a bite and he ate off her spoon. He gave her a soft kiss, tasting the ice cream on her lips. "What a wonderful way to wake up."


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: The last pairing of my drabble is Fremione, even though my OTP is Dramione. I love them both. They have the last stage of expectancy when the baby is to be delivered. So here is Fred and Hermione's trip to St. Mungos. RxR. FxF._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter._

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**Chapter 5 - Another Beauty**

They were just in Diagon Alley, the Leaky Cauldron to be exact, for a light lunch. She had said she was feeling strange that morning but she had been feeling strange lately so they both thought nothing of it.

Then there was a sharp pain, she said, and her face paled. She clutched her stomach. "Fred?" she said quietly. He ran around her side of the table, almost upturning his chair and she whispered through gritted teeth, "We need to go. Now!"

He was scared, something was wrong. But then she gave him a look, a deeper meaning behind her words. It finally hit and this time he did upturn something - the table. All the patrons turned to them but Fred didn't care. His wife had just gone into labour.

He lifted her under her shoulders, eliciting a low groan from her. Her dress was wet but he could not care right now. Then he ran into the floo, scared to apparate with her, and they disappeared to St. Mungo's.

Her screams were loud. He wished he could be in the room holding her hand, but wizards weren't allowed in the room with their wives. She had mentioned that muggle fathers could but this had happened too quickly for him to consider taking her to a muggle doctor like she had wanted.

Another scream and heavy breathing came through the paper thin walls. What were they doing to her? He would never make her have another baby if she had to go through pain like this again.

Then there was a weird pop and a soft cry. It was quiet now and Fred wondered what had happened. He rose from the seat frantic, ready to burst down the door to see his wife, when it opened inwards. He saw the smiling but weary face of a healer. "Mr Weasley, you can come in now."

She allowed him in and was saying something else but Fred didn't care. All he saw was his wife, more asleep than awake. Her normally wild brown hair was damp and bunched up under her head, her arms fell lifeless beside her and if not for her soft breathing, he may actually thought the worst in his frenzied state.

The nurse tapped his shoulder and he turned. In her hands was a pink, struggling bundle, little fists moving underneath the blanket.

No words were said as Fred held his daughter for the first time: little button nose, soft cheeks, round eyes and a little fuzz of orange hair. Definitely a Weasley.

He took a seat beside his wife and squeezed her hand. Her brown eyes opened and she turned to him slowly. "Hey," she said tiredly with a small smile.

He smiled back and held the bundle over her chest. She moved her hands up and held their daughter with him. Neither could look away. "There's that red hair," she said softly.

"But everything else is her mother's. Another beauty to behold."


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Draco eats the last green apple. Dramione. slight Drapple. Prompt given by my good friend, Liza - Write a drabble where someone is jealous of Draco/Apple, because they had their sights on getting that apple. And since it's a pregnancy drabble, I've decided to just add it to a collection I had started previously. Enjoy._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter._

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**Chapter 6 - Green Apple Jealousy**

Hermione walked into the kitchen as quickly as her legs could carry her. She had a sudden craving for an apple, the fetus in her womb wanting some of the apple-y goodness and she knew there was one more left in the fruit basket.

But when she finally reached the kitchen table, she froze as she looked at the empty basket. Where had the last apple gone? It was here not fifteen minutes ago and now it was missing.

There was a loud crunch to her right and Hermione spun to see her husband standing in the kitchen archway, the apple held against his mouth. He looked at his wife's fuming face and asked cautiously, "Looking for something?"

Hermione glared, eyeing the green fruit in his hand. She should have known he would have taken it. His love of green apples were greater than anyone else's she had known. It was why there had only been one left after just getting a dozen three days ago. But now he was eating the last one!

Hermione let out a frustrated noise before snatching the fruit from his mouth and stomping out of the kitchen. "We're out of apples," she said over her shoulder as she took a deep bite of her own.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Molly spends the day home with little Bill. Molly/Bill mother-son moment. Bill is almost two and Charlie is soon to be born._

_Submission for:_

_**All You Need Is Love Challenge/Competition: **Round 3 - Molly/Bill_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter._

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**Chapter 7 - Big Brother**

"Baby?" Bill asked as he knelt on the bed next to his resting mum. After Arthur had left this morning for work, Molly had made herself a cup of tea and had taken herself and Bill up to her bedroom to rest. Moving around with such a large stomach was tiring and she was impatiently awaiting the birth of her next son.

Molly smiled, grabbing one of the little boy's hands and placing flat against her round belly. "Yes, Bill. Baby," she said.

"Baby," Bill said again, rubbing his hand across her skin slowly. Molly could feel the baby in her womb respond to the touch, his movement a bit uncomfortable as he moved closer to Bill's hand.

"This is your brother, Charlie," Molly said, readjusting herself on the bed to get more comfortable.

"Charlie," Bill said. "Baby Charlie."

"Yes, baby Charlie," Molly said with a smile. She then brought Bill into her arms and placed a sweet kiss on his cheek. He giggled in her embrace as she showered him in affection, rubbing her nose against his. "And will you be a good big brother, Bill?" she asked.

"Baby?" Bill asked, looking between her face and her stomach again.

"Will you be a good big brother to baby Charlie?" Molly asked regaining his attention. "Will you love baby Charlie?"

"Yes, Mummy," Bill said with a smile. Molly wasn't sure if Bill fully understood her question but she wasn't worried. She knew Bill would love baby Charlie with all his heart.


End file.
